Snow and Ice - Where are the birds?
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mallardhunter
- Veteran
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- Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2001 12:01 am
- Location: State of Confusion
the seasons are slowly moving forward and the hunting season remains the same. buricrats way of trying to please everyone. wow, we got another 60 day season,(only about 20 worth a darn toward the end). This means less birds killed which pleases all the other consertives. my opinion is the migration of waterfowl is not as it was many years ago. every living thing on this earth is slowly adapting to all the climactic changes occuring. it use to be we had 4 distinct seasons, now you just cant tell. birds are not stupid and they adapt quickly. they have 2 goals in life, survive and breed.
Sat. we had our limmit by 7:45. birds were moving from 6:15 till 11:45. the most iv'e seen in 5 yrs. but they stay close to the front. sun. we just made limmit by 10:00. we saw thousands of birds but the majority were, as expected, heading NORTH, as the warm front is moving in. its no wonder the migration is all screwed up, thur. it's 5 degrees and a week later it's gonna be close to 70. take that into consideration and add the fact that duck hunters have increased 20 fold in the last few years it's no wonder we are frustrated. just my opinion. hope you all do well!
Sat. we had our limmit by 7:45. birds were moving from 6:15 till 11:45. the most iv'e seen in 5 yrs. but they stay close to the front. sun. we just made limmit by 10:00. we saw thousands of birds but the majority were, as expected, heading NORTH, as the warm front is moving in. its no wonder the migration is all screwed up, thur. it's 5 degrees and a week later it's gonna be close to 70. take that into consideration and add the fact that duck hunters have increased 20 fold in the last few years it's no wonder we are frustrated. just my opinion. hope you all do well!
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Wildfowler
- Duck South Addict
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- Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2001 12:01 am
- Location: Mis'sippi
Looks like most of our ducks come from areas that lie to the West of all that snow anyway:
My parents live in Indiana, and I can tell you first hand that there ain't many ducks to be pushed south coming out of Indiana.
http://library.fws.gov/Pubs/Mississippi_Flywaymap.pdf
My parents live in Indiana, and I can tell you first hand that there ain't many ducks to be pushed south coming out of Indiana.
http://library.fws.gov/Pubs/Mississippi_Flywaymap.pdf
driven every kind of rig that's ever been made, driven the backroads so I wouldn't get weighed. - Lowell George
I know the weather is slowly warming, but you can not honestly believe that in three years time the weather has warmed up enough to stop the migration. I can't remember where I saw the data, but the difference in the temperature now from 100 years ago is like 2 degrees higher. (don't qoute me on this number it has been a while since i saw the data).
NO DUCKS, NO DUCKS, NO DUCKS!!!!
Simple as that.
NO DUCKS, NO DUCKS, NO DUCKS!!!!
Simple as that.
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MALLARDBUSTER
- Veteran
- Posts: 165
- Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2001 1:01 am
- Location: STRONG RIVER BOTTOMS
ON ALL OF THE BLASTED REFUGES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY THAT'S WHERE.ALL OF YOU GUYS SPORTING THOSE LITTLE WHITE DUCK HEADS ON YOUR VEHICLE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE DOING.I GUESS TRYING TO BE COOL OR SOMETHING.DU IS THE PROBLEM WITH THE DUCKS THE MORE REFUGES THAT GET STARTED THE WORSE IT GETS.SURE THEY
RE HELPING THE POPULATION,BUT THEY AIN'T NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF TREE HUGGING ANIMAL RIGHTS IDIOTS.AT LEAST THE FEDS COULD LET FOLKS GO IN ON THEM EVERY ONCE AND A WHILE AND SCATTER THEM OUT,UNTIL THEY START DOING THAT,IT'S NOT GONNA GET ANY BETTER.
THAT 'S NOT ALL THE PROBLEM,BUT A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION
YOU CAN PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT,TAKE LONG DRAWS ON THAT IF YOU LIKE
RE HELPING THE POPULATION,BUT THEY AIN'T NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF TREE HUGGING ANIMAL RIGHTS IDIOTS.AT LEAST THE FEDS COULD LET FOLKS GO IN ON THEM EVERY ONCE AND A WHILE AND SCATTER THEM OUT,UNTIL THEY START DOING THAT,IT'S NOT GONNA GET ANY BETTER.
THAT 'S NOT ALL THE PROBLEM,BUT A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION
YOU CAN PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT,TAKE LONG DRAWS ON THAT IF YOU LIKE
DRY EM OUT BOYS!
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tunica
- Duck South Addict
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- Joined: Thu Dec 05, 2002 7:23 am
- Location: Tunica or Olive Branch
MALLARDBUSTER wrote:ON ALL OF THE BLASTED REFUGES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY THAT'S WHERE.ALL OF YOU GUYS SPORTING THOSE LITTLE WHITE DUCK HEADS ON YOUR VEHICLE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE DOING.I GUESS TRYING TO BE COOL OR SOMETHING.DU IS THE PROBLEM WITH THE DUCKS THE MORE REFUGES THAT GET STARTED THE WORSE IT GETS.SURE THEY
RE HELPING THE POPULATION,BUT THEY AIN'T NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF TREE HUGGING ANIMAL RIGHTS IDIOTS.AT LEAST THE FEDS COULD LET FOLKS GO IN ON THEM EVERY ONCE AND A WHILE AND SCATTER THEM OUT,UNTIL THEY START DOING THAT,IT'S NOT GONNA GET ANY BETTER.
THAT 'S NOT ALL THE PROBLEM,BUT A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION
YOU CAN PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT,TAKE LONG DRAWS ON THAT IF YOU LIKE
Informed Minds want to know....My solution to the lack of ducks....all you Boys under 50 need to start deer hunting again....and leave the ducks to the old guys that appreciate whats being done to preserve the ducks for you young guys....when your over 50 then you can hunt ducks....just like social security you got to get to the magic age number before you can draw on the resource. If you dont understand conservation YOU can't hunt.
One thing you might consider is.......it took from Wednesday of last week to the day after Christmas for anysignificant body of water to even form a skim of ice on it. Many ditches didn't freeze 'til Monday morning. I'm sure the shallow areas like flooded fields and such had ice on them, but it's the deep water and moving water you have to look at to get an idea of whether freezing is wide-spread and severe enough to lock-up the ducks water supply.
As much as I'd like to see the ducks, I haven't allowed myself to be opptimistic about this year. Now, (with the warming temperatures projected for the next 2 weeks), I think what ducks have arrived will only frustrate the punk out of those who are dedicated.
It takes a series of weather events to move birds down the Flyway. This last cold front was enough to move'em, but not all the way to Mississippi. If I had to suspect a culprit in all this.....it's the many waterfowling clubs that provide sanctuary for the birds. They manage for duck food and don't shoot those areas.......they shoot'em in other areas. They hold birds and don't harrass them which makes it attractive to the birds. I equate it to the situation that results from a warm September when there's very few doves and everybody and his brother-in-law 'fixes' a field for opening day of dove hunting. There's only going to be a certain degree of concentration of game in one area......and if you made a half-hearted effort to provide something attractive to the birds in that area, then you may have been 'out-done' by your neighbor down the road.
You just have to accept the fact that when there's not a heavy concentration of birds, it's easy to start pointing fingers.......but I've been at this for 35 years and have seen a lot of bad years......but when we get a good year when there's a lot of birds in our area, then it makes up for the bad ones.
I don't know where the birds are......I know where they AREN'T, though.......and living this far South, you just have to expect to be on the short end of the stick when we have mild Winters. There is still a lot food on the ground and plenty of open water North of us. We're getting a few birds from this last front, but it's going to take a bigger freeze than that for a true 'migration' to occur. Again, it takes a series of cold weather events to create a migration........not just ONE....but several. My comments won't bring birds to your duckhole. But I hope this helps some of you understand why they're not here, yet (at least from MY point of view).
As much as I'd like to see the ducks, I haven't allowed myself to be opptimistic about this year. Now, (with the warming temperatures projected for the next 2 weeks), I think what ducks have arrived will only frustrate the punk out of those who are dedicated.
It takes a series of weather events to move birds down the Flyway. This last cold front was enough to move'em, but not all the way to Mississippi. If I had to suspect a culprit in all this.....it's the many waterfowling clubs that provide sanctuary for the birds. They manage for duck food and don't shoot those areas.......they shoot'em in other areas. They hold birds and don't harrass them which makes it attractive to the birds. I equate it to the situation that results from a warm September when there's very few doves and everybody and his brother-in-law 'fixes' a field for opening day of dove hunting. There's only going to be a certain degree of concentration of game in one area......and if you made a half-hearted effort to provide something attractive to the birds in that area, then you may have been 'out-done' by your neighbor down the road.
You just have to accept the fact that when there's not a heavy concentration of birds, it's easy to start pointing fingers.......but I've been at this for 35 years and have seen a lot of bad years......but when we get a good year when there's a lot of birds in our area, then it makes up for the bad ones.
I don't know where the birds are......I know where they AREN'T, though.......and living this far South, you just have to expect to be on the short end of the stick when we have mild Winters. There is still a lot food on the ground and plenty of open water North of us. We're getting a few birds from this last front, but it's going to take a bigger freeze than that for a true 'migration' to occur. Again, it takes a series of cold weather events to create a migration........not just ONE....but several. My comments won't bring birds to your duckhole. But I hope this helps some of you understand why they're not here, yet (at least from MY point of view).
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RedEyed Duck
- Duck South Addict
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- Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2001 12:01 am
- Location: Bartlett, TN
We are locked up and frozen solid. So solid that two fellas can ride on a 4-wheeler without breaking through. I went Sunday morning and probably did not see 100 ducks by 9 am, had to leave to do Christmas with the inlaws. Went yesterday (Monday) afternoon and saw thousands of mallards! Did not fire a shot though as they wanted no part of our frozen rice field with an open hole that was 10X10 
So I must say, I saw the ducks, more mallards than I have seen all season, just need the thaw to get after em' at the lease. Til then I'll be hunting public again.
So I must say, I saw the ducks, more mallards than I have seen all season, just need the thaw to get after em' at the lease. Til then I'll be hunting public again.man, i generally don't reply to "the sky is falling" threads, but this one has me........we've gone from, "it's just too HOT" to the now, "ice everywhere"...
you wait on the precise weather for hunting ducks down here, and you'll be waiting til the end of february...most times it don't exist...
friend of mine/the forum (GB from the dog forum) told me not long ago, and it's makes alot of sense, "you can't set standards for duck season, if you do, you'll be crying more times than not." ducks are birds, there opportunistic in there very existence, and they ain't going no where til they have too...you get 3 things: food, good water, and enough weather to push em, and every swingin d!ck from here to the coast will be harassing birds...you don't get all three, and you prolly ain't shooting many ducks...
anat makes a dang good point, one cold snap ain't gonna do much to push birds in significant numbers all the way here....i take him at his word, why? cause the mofo watched the migration (on a small scale) occur in front of his eyes...he posted last year about a wad (i'm talking thousands) of ducks wait out a storm til they couldn't stand it anymore...
saying, DU or any other org that's dedicated to ducks is THE problem, is well, it just don't make sense...they took up a torch and bought land when they saw things (land destruction) occuring, and fearing the worst, sought to end that problem....they've done well, unfortunately, they've still got a HUGE undertaking.....honest to GOD, i can't imagine were we'd be w/out them and what they've done...it's even interesting to see how they've softened there stance against some of DW's work...i support both, send my money to both, and hope that both are at the very least doing the best they can...fact is, i wish BOTH (DU and DW) would at least get on the same page, then you'd see something; BUT they can't, they're fighting for the same money, causing different sets of agendas...someone spoke of refuges and there being a problem - man, those refuges are the only place dux can go in peace...they are shot from canada down, they got to have some place to just rest don't they? i used to be all for shooting refuges on a small scale for a small amount of time, but ole ben posted something when he first got back on the seen about this and why it's not the right thing, and he changed my opinion...then i REALLY got to thinking about it, and shooting those "refuges" would be fun for what, 10 minutes....then the ducks would adapt to that too...notice i didn't say "get smart", we're talking birds w/ bird brains - they don't get "smarter" they get "wilder", PERIOD!
now, i'm not arrogant enough to think i KNOW what the problem is/are...don't think anyone does, cuz if they did, we wouldn't be having "problems"...but i do KNOW it's not "one thing" or "this thing" or "that thing"....if, and i say IF, we really have a problem, it's a combination of MANY things; i.e. changing farming practices, increase in private land holdings/refuges, more hunters - the vast majority of newcomers being uneducated to the art of hunting ducks, and quite frankly, the "i want it now" cry-baby, pizz-ant attitude the world as a whole has...
last year almost got me.......ALMOST...but i got in ducks in january, stayed in ducks, and forgot all my "problems" i had - amazing how that works ain't it? the one thing i've noticed is LESS duck hunters this year (at least early) than i have in a while.....dunno why, or what it means, or if it's just me, but I'VE seen less people....consequently, i've killed more ducks early than i have in several years...corrolation? i dunno, jes one dumazzez opinion to the next...
no one, no where is EVER gonna be satisfied...i personally think 6 dux over 60 days sets too lofty a goal and is too hard to keep joe hunter "satisfied", BUT that's another topic for another time...
i will say this, everday of poor hunting brings us one day closer to lower limits and less days. when that occurs, the people that want 60/6 will be pizzed, people that want 30-45 days will kill some dux and want longer seasons....in short (or long) duck hunters are just some contrary, hard to please fuggers
either way, we're one step closer to ALOT of rich fuggers going back deer hunting....carry on, gator
you wait on the precise weather for hunting ducks down here, and you'll be waiting til the end of february...most times it don't exist...
friend of mine/the forum (GB from the dog forum) told me not long ago, and it's makes alot of sense, "you can't set standards for duck season, if you do, you'll be crying more times than not." ducks are birds, there opportunistic in there very existence, and they ain't going no where til they have too...you get 3 things: food, good water, and enough weather to push em, and every swingin d!ck from here to the coast will be harassing birds...you don't get all three, and you prolly ain't shooting many ducks...
anat makes a dang good point, one cold snap ain't gonna do much to push birds in significant numbers all the way here....i take him at his word, why? cause the mofo watched the migration (on a small scale) occur in front of his eyes...he posted last year about a wad (i'm talking thousands) of ducks wait out a storm til they couldn't stand it anymore...
saying, DU or any other org that's dedicated to ducks is THE problem, is well, it just don't make sense...they took up a torch and bought land when they saw things (land destruction) occuring, and fearing the worst, sought to end that problem....they've done well, unfortunately, they've still got a HUGE undertaking.....honest to GOD, i can't imagine were we'd be w/out them and what they've done...it's even interesting to see how they've softened there stance against some of DW's work...i support both, send my money to both, and hope that both are at the very least doing the best they can...fact is, i wish BOTH (DU and DW) would at least get on the same page, then you'd see something; BUT they can't, they're fighting for the same money, causing different sets of agendas...someone spoke of refuges and there being a problem - man, those refuges are the only place dux can go in peace...they are shot from canada down, they got to have some place to just rest don't they? i used to be all for shooting refuges on a small scale for a small amount of time, but ole ben posted something when he first got back on the seen about this and why it's not the right thing, and he changed my opinion...then i REALLY got to thinking about it, and shooting those "refuges" would be fun for what, 10 minutes....then the ducks would adapt to that too...notice i didn't say "get smart", we're talking birds w/ bird brains - they don't get "smarter" they get "wilder", PERIOD!
now, i'm not arrogant enough to think i KNOW what the problem is/are...don't think anyone does, cuz if they did, we wouldn't be having "problems"...but i do KNOW it's not "one thing" or "this thing" or "that thing"....if, and i say IF, we really have a problem, it's a combination of MANY things; i.e. changing farming practices, increase in private land holdings/refuges, more hunters - the vast majority of newcomers being uneducated to the art of hunting ducks, and quite frankly, the "i want it now" cry-baby, pizz-ant attitude the world as a whole has...
last year almost got me.......ALMOST...but i got in ducks in january, stayed in ducks, and forgot all my "problems" i had - amazing how that works ain't it? the one thing i've noticed is LESS duck hunters this year (at least early) than i have in a while.....dunno why, or what it means, or if it's just me, but I'VE seen less people....consequently, i've killed more ducks early than i have in several years...corrolation? i dunno, jes one dumazzez opinion to the next...
no one, no where is EVER gonna be satisfied...i personally think 6 dux over 60 days sets too lofty a goal and is too hard to keep joe hunter "satisfied", BUT that's another topic for another time...
i will say this, everday of poor hunting brings us one day closer to lower limits and less days. when that occurs, the people that want 60/6 will be pizzed, people that want 30-45 days will kill some dux and want longer seasons....in short (or long) duck hunters are just some contrary, hard to please fuggers
either way, we're one step closer to ALOT of rich fuggers going back deer hunting....carry on, gator
Last edited by gator on Tue Dec 28, 2004 12:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
HRCH Eight Gauge - Gauge (see you on the bridge buddy)
HRCH Eight Gauge's Mountain Man - Trapper
HRCH Eight Gauge's Mountain Man - Trapper
Excellent post, Gator!
Kelly......I wonder what the ducks do when they are in your are, but can't get to your field cause it's locked-up........sit on any available open water and wait for the ice to melt?....go to the flooded greentree areas with deeper water?........or move-on down the Flyway until they find accessible food? I've seen ducks that have fed unmolested in a certain spot for a week or better.......and when it gets iced-up in the mornings, they'll land on the ice and sit there until it melts enough to fall through with'em.....or it gets thin enough for them to poke their heads through it and start feeding.......sometimes sitting on the ice from first light to 11:00 (if it's a hole that recieves a good bit of sunlight). They'll do [i[that[/i] rather than go look for another spot to feed (provided they don't have to wait too long for that ice to melt). Ducks get use to an easy meal and stay there for several days....it's hard to run'em out......even with a little gunning pressure (and some light freezing).
Kelly I hope for your sake, they hang around and find enough of what they need until your field thaws-out......from the sound of it, that might take a couple of days. Trouble is, if they find another feeding area that thaws-out before yours does (and nobody messes with'em), they're liable to sit there until they get run-out. Who knows what they do? All I know is that there's so many factors that influence their behavior, it would be impossible to pin it on one or two things.
But when there's not a mass migration and a heavy concentration of birds in an area......all that tells me is that they are somewhere else......not that they don't exist.
The mass migration stays along the 'freeze' line. That's not where temeratures are around 32 degrees, but where any freeze/thaw cycle
gradually becomes more 'freeze', than 'thaw'. Of course it fluctuates, and birds will receed with the freeze line and return to areas where they had the good life (if where they are, presently, is not AS good. (Just my theory).
Some o' you guys just need to try to muster some patience, or you're going to rupture a blood vessel somewhere. I want to see the birds just as bad as anybody else.....and yes, I get disappointed when I go and don't see what I'd hoped for......but that's my fault (having any positive expectations, at ALL
)......unlike the set of natural phenomena over which we have absolutely NO control. Duck hunting doesn't need 'fixing'.....our mentality does. Maybe they'll cooperate, next year.
Kelly......I wonder what the ducks do when they are in your are, but can't get to your field cause it's locked-up........sit on any available open water and wait for the ice to melt?....go to the flooded greentree areas with deeper water?........or move-on down the Flyway until they find accessible food? I've seen ducks that have fed unmolested in a certain spot for a week or better.......and when it gets iced-up in the mornings, they'll land on the ice and sit there until it melts enough to fall through with'em.....or it gets thin enough for them to poke their heads through it and start feeding.......sometimes sitting on the ice from first light to 11:00 (if it's a hole that recieves a good bit of sunlight). They'll do [i[that[/i] rather than go look for another spot to feed (provided they don't have to wait too long for that ice to melt). Ducks get use to an easy meal and stay there for several days....it's hard to run'em out......even with a little gunning pressure (and some light freezing).
Kelly I hope for your sake, they hang around and find enough of what they need until your field thaws-out......from the sound of it, that might take a couple of days. Trouble is, if they find another feeding area that thaws-out before yours does (and nobody messes with'em), they're liable to sit there until they get run-out. Who knows what they do? All I know is that there's so many factors that influence their behavior, it would be impossible to pin it on one or two things.
But when there's not a mass migration and a heavy concentration of birds in an area......all that tells me is that they are somewhere else......not that they don't exist.
The mass migration stays along the 'freeze' line. That's not where temeratures are around 32 degrees, but where any freeze/thaw cycle
gradually becomes more 'freeze', than 'thaw'. Of course it fluctuates, and birds will receed with the freeze line and return to areas where they had the good life (if where they are, presently, is not AS good. (Just my theory).
Some o' you guys just need to try to muster some patience, or you're going to rupture a blood vessel somewhere. I want to see the birds just as bad as anybody else.....and yes, I get disappointed when I go and don't see what I'd hoped for......but that's my fault (having any positive expectations, at ALL
)......unlike the set of natural phenomena over which we have absolutely NO control. Duck hunting doesn't need 'fixing'.....our mentality does. Maybe they'll cooperate, next year.-
RedEyed Duck
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- Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2001 12:01 am
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Anat, I did not read your post before typing mine. I feel that they are hitting the timber areas as you described and fields that were not flooded. I think we have enough large/deep open water to hold em for a while and plenty of food in the dry/not flooded fields to keep em too. However, just as you said they may develop a pattern and pass us up once the thaw gets here. I don't expect that we will be thawed til this weekend at the earliest, just due to the 4 + inches of ice that we found. I am sure the full moon without any clouds is not helping either. Just as earlier in the season the flight was one big time after shooting hours. I'll get after em' some time between now and 1/30/05, and if not there is always next year. Good luck Anat.
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mallardhunter
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